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Somehow he became known as "Stuff." Anyhow, one of the funniest things he ever observed was Cool Clyde, aka "Claudette" jiving with Fast Sam, who was "getting into his thing" on the dance floor in a competition. One by one, couples were asked to sit down by the announcer jovially saying, "Hey, hey. Let's give a big hand to..." and then he announced the couple's names. The pace of dancing would rise to a frenetic pace in the few seconds before the announcement, each couple throwing a few more daring moves in fervent hope that it would not be them to drop next. As the dance floor thinned out, Claudette, with her wig, and Fast Sam were giving the music a run for its money until there were only two couples left on the floor. Could Claudette retain her wig long enough to win?

Sam, Clyde, Stuff, Gloria, BB and Angel are not too cool to form a club to help them weather the storm when something bad happens to make them feel little. It's nice to have the "Good People" to count on. Soul kissing and boys and girls discussing sex, partying with people that they barely know, and going on a field trip with Dad to the local precinct? This is the life of Stuff. His father said that some people just want to mess with kids. Clyde's grades in jeopardy and Sam trying for a full scholarship in basketball to attend a university. At least there is something better to aspire to.

Fast Sam, Cool Clyde, and Stuff by Walter Dean Myers

Walter Dean Myers is awesome, and this book is a fun, relaxing read. If you love dance and the art of growing up, this book is a winner. Despite the publication date of this book, it is as relevant today as any contemporary teen novel.